


Hidden Distrust

by TopazShadowwolf



Series: Two Sides of the Same Coin [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gaster Blaster (Undertale), F/M, Gaster Blaster Sans, mention of past self harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 02:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12546976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopazShadowwolf/pseuds/TopazShadowwolf
Summary: Toriel is staying with Sans while Papyrus is out, wanting to help out while the skeleton she loves is half changed. While she is there Sans speaks up about some concerns he has.





	Hidden Distrust

**Author's Note:**

> And with this one posted, you are now up to date with what I have for this AU on Tumblr. The last one I want to post for the month is still in the works... I'm hoping to have it done and posted on the 31st, but it might not be done till early Nov.

The sound of the TV in the background had relaxed her for a few hours. Frisk was with Alphys, working on a science project that Sans was going to help with. Unfortunately, Sans was stuck in his half-changed form longer than expected, and unable to assist. This was a problem that had become more common since he changed while sick.

While Papyrus was out, Toriel offered to come over and just be around. She had brought work with her, knowing Sans is not that active at any time, but especially when he's half changed. It made her wonder what he was like fully changed; though, it is hard to ask him questions like that. Last time she tried, he just turned away, shrugged, and tried to change the subject. After that, she just avoided talking about it around him.

Toriel looked up from the papers she was grading, and over to see Sans slouched on the sofa. He wasn't even watching the show, but stared off into space instead. His left arm was propped on the arm of the sofa, while his fingers drummed out a slow rhythm that his tail swung to. This wouldn't be an issue, save for his fingers ending in sharp claws, that he absentmindedly dug into the sofa fabric.

“Sans,” she tried catching his attention.

Eye lights focused on her, without hesitation, “yeah, tori?”

“Sorry, but I think you're damaging the sofa,” Toriel said as she pointed at the sofa arm.

Sans lifted his hand and saw the snagged and torn bits of fabric strings. With a heavy sigh, he muttered under his breath. The piece of furniture was far from new, and has been handled roughly by a certain fish monster, who had been sleeping on it a while back. Yet, he shook his head and looked at the damage as if that was the first time the sofa had been marred. With a disappointed sigh, he ran his hand over the damage; as if that would fix what had been done.

“It will be alright,” Toriel offered some reassurance, but Sans didn't seem to listen as he looked more defeated than before. “There is little that can be done to repair it; but, the damage isn’t that bad.”

“i guess,” Sans sighed and looked at his claw tipped hands. With a shake of his head, he then added, “i think i’m going to go upstairs.” As he started to get up, he stretched his back and arms, almost looking like a cat in the process. His bones popped and cracked in what sounded a painful way, but the content grin and calm tail swish proved otherwise.

“Oh,” Toriel didn't like the idea of him going off alone, not after that. He hasn't hurt his hand again, like the first time she saw him like this, but that could be because she now helped Papyrus keep an eye on him. “Why don't I go up with you?”

“it’s alright, tori, i’m just goin’ to take a nap,” his voice and face were both relaxed, but his tail thrashed a couple of times in irritation.

“Yes, but, there’s no need to be alone. If you don’t want to nap down here, I can finish grading after I help you remake your bed. How’s that?” she offered a smile but saw his tail displayed continued annoyance.

He saw where she was looking and looked down at his tail with a growl. In anger, he turned slightly, and grabbed the limb. It wasn’t hard for him to catch a tail as long as his, though hanging on to it was the hard part. As his frustration grew, the more his tail wanted to thrash, and it looked like small animal struggling for its life. Based on the glare he gave the limb, she feared she would have to step in before he could harm it, and himself; and that disheartened her. But, before she could say or do anything, Sans turned back to her, his voice as calm as he could muster, “i don’t need a babysitter, tori.”

Those words cut deep, and she looked back to the papers she still had to grade. “ah, geez, tori, i’m sorry, i just… i just feel like… like,” he sighed as he struggled to find the right words.

“I’m treating you as if you were a child, aren't I?” Toriel looked back at him, and she took his silence as a ‘yes.’ She stood and moved over to him, “Sans, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel that way.”

“i know, tori, and i like havin’ you around… but not if it's like you're stuck,” Sans sat back down on the sofa after some direction from Toriel.

“Stuck?” Toriel asked, she sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulders to hold him close.

“yeah,” sans said quietly. He hesitated to lean in to her, and she could sense the apprehension he felt. The tail, still in his hands, struggled to move, but not to the same extent as before.

“What do you mean by stuck?” Toriel kept her arm in place to keep him still. He would most likely move away if allowed, and not because he wanted to.

“i mean that… you have a life outside of this that you should be able to live without needing to be trapped, or slowed down, by me. like how papyrus is… i want him to enjoy everything on the surface, but he’s scared to go on long camping trips with undyne because of me. you…,” he started shivering, magic tears building up in his sockets. He tried to move away but she wasn’t going to allow it, hugging him tight to her with both arms now. “i’m sorry tori, i never should have thought this would work, that i could hide this _thing_ from you.”

“Sans, this ‘thing’ is you,” she freed a hand to lightly pet his skull, and tried to ease him.

“no, it’s not,” he said, and again she felt him try to move. This time she let him go and he shifted away. His tail now free, thumped against the cushions.

“It is a part of you,” Toriel tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he shied away.

“a part of me no one trusts,” without knowing it, he had pressed his back into the corner of the other side of the sofa. He had also huddled up enough to look like a trapped creature, instead of her dear one.

To give him his space, Toriel didn’t try to touch him again. She wasn’t sure where this was coming from, but she tried to stay patient, “I trust you.”

“but not ‘it.’”

“Sans, it is a part-”

Before she could finish Sans interrupted, the calmness completely gone, “then you don’t trust me!”

“Non- sense!” Toriel frowned and folded her arms, “of course I trust you.”

“yeah? then, how come, after you found out, frisk hasn’t been able to hang out here while you’re at work late. papy misses the kid, i miss the kid. but, fine, we get to see them when we visit your house. oh, right, you don’t seem to let them out of your sight when i’m around. so, i go from being the fun uncle, or whatever, that the kid used to play pranks with to asg-…,” Sans fell quiet and looked away. His grin pulled so tight from stress, it almost looked like nothing was holding his mandible on, “you’ve been through a lot, tori. you’ve had a lot of pain and loss. so, i understand. i just wish you’d be more truthful about it. because, if you can’t trust me, what’s the point of any of this?”

Toriel felt tears fill her eyes and turned away. She was only trying to help, but didn’t notice all that she was doing in the process. This was still Sans, but it had been months now, and he was right. She has had Undyne, Alphys, or even Mettaton watch Frisk when before Sans and Papyrus were her first choice.

She started to apologize when his hand touched her arm, “sorry, tori. i shouldn’t… that was wrong of me to say. i’ve enjoyed seeing you here more often.” He then paused and looked away again, “i’ve always enjoyed being around you, but don’t get stuck here.”

With a shake of her head, Toriel took a deep shuddering breath, “Let me start, by saying, I don’t regret, ever once, trying to be here for you. I just wish there was more I can do.”

Sans sat back, “you’ve helped me plenty tori. and thank you for that. just wish i wasn’t such a burden.”

“Dear one, you’re no burden. No more than I was at one time. When you first showed up at the ruin doors, I never thought you would keep your promise to come back the next day, but you did. You sensed that I was lonely; and, even with everything else going on in your life, you tried your best to be there for me as much as you could. Nearly every day. I am forever thankful for what you did. That simple act brought me peace, joy, and the laughter I hadn’t had in years.

“I’m not stuck with you, because I choose to be here with you. I’m choosing to continue this relationship, no matter the trials, because I love you,” she leaned over and kissed him on the muzzle. He was looking at her with the faintest hint of color on his cheek bones. In that moment, she pondered to herself over which form of him she thought was cutest. The original short skeleton she met, or this spiker, animal like version of himself.

“Because I love you, I need to trust you. You are you no matter the shape, and I need to go back to trusting the same monster I believed in before. I’m sorry if I lead you to feel untrustworthy, or like a child. That was never my intent, but I need to accept that is what I did,” Toriel smiled, there were still tears in her eyes but she was feeling better saying this.

There was a soft rattling sound as Sans sat there shivering, “heh, i…,” he paused and looked away. There was a mix of frustration and happiness as he sat there, some of him looked content while his tail flipped with anxiety, and his body looked about ready to shake apart.

“Sans?”

“i love you, too,” Sans said, looking back at her. The shivering slowed a little and his tail wrapped tightly around his legs.

The silence that followed marked the shock she was feeling at him saying those word. She has said she loved him plenty of times, but he hasn’t said the same back. Generally, the most he will commit to is “i really like you, tori,” as he tries to express the love she can see in his eyes lights, while distancing himself from the relationship at the same time. This though, this meant something big. He was finally admitting to her, and himself, what they both knew all this time.

It must have been getting awkward for him as he interrupted the silence first, “so, uh, want some help grading papers? it, uh, seems hard to be _a_ teacher and have to _b_ up so late doing all that work. it’s sad to _c,_ really…”

“No D and F?” Toriel asked amidst her giggling.

“sorry, hate to _d-_ ny you that, tori, but i _failed_ to think of a way to use them,” he shrugged and Toriel roared with laughter.

“Alright, the help sounds wonderful, thank you,” she said as she smiled at him, and he smiled back.


End file.
